The beast within
by mirrors02
Summary: Oneshot. "You're only a monster if you believe you are. And even if you believe you're one, I'll always be here, seeing you as just Rin," He said softly. I wanted to cry. His hands traced my arms again, until they reached my face. His thumb traced my lips for a few seconds; soon, his finger was replaced by his lips.


**Okay, another one. I don't think the title has anything with the story.**

**This one shot was based at Len's cover PV of The beast. Only the PV, though, not the lyrics.**

**I think it's a little too rushed and it didn't come as I wanted, but… bah**

**Hope you enjoy ;D**

**Disclaimer: Not mine :C**

* * *

I just stood there, watching as the house burned into ashes. The smell of burned flesh reached my nose. It looks like it was a robbery, the robbers probably ran away, after setting the house into fire.

I turned to leave. I never thought there's a house so close of the forest. This forest has been empty for years, only animals, and I, of course, live here. And there's a reason for it.

The humans from the village that makes division with the Forest are afraid of the beast that lives here. That beast is me. I don't know why I'm like this, I'm sure my parents were human, but I's born this way, this monster. I've been alive for years, from even before the village existed.

When a few humans started to build their houses near the woods, I decided to pay a visit to them, but they called me a monster, throwing things at me, yelling at me to go away and never came back. Some of them even followed me to my castle and attacked it. After that, I decided. If they saw me as a beast, I would be the beast they feared.

While I was walking back home, in the woods, I found something strange. A human child fallen on the ground. I approached and found it was a boy, unconscious. He came from the burning house? Well, he'll probably die, anyway. There's no way a child like that would survive alone in this place.

I turned to leave. I hate humans. I hate them, so, I can't I leave? Why can't I leave this boy laying here? Frustrated, I walked to the boy and, taking care to not hurt him with my claws, I picked him up and went to the castle.

* * *

It looks like that even the Great Beast wasn't so cruel to let a child to die, huh? I was sitting at a chair, watching the sleeping boy on my king bed, at my room. I've already threaten his wounds (he only had some minor burns on his legs) so, why he was still asleep? Exhaustion, maybe.

He twitched in his sleep and I leaned in. His blue eyes opened and he sat up, he looked around, his eyes looked at me, but it was like he couldn't see me.

"Hey!" I said, "Are you okay?"

He almost jumped at the sound of my voice and turned his face to my direction. It was when I noticed his eyes couldn't see me, he's blind.

"Y-yes, I'm fine… Hmm… Miss, where am I?" He probably knew I was a woman because of my voice.

"You're in the wood's castle. How old are you?"

"T-ten. Are you the mistress of this castle?"

"Yes, I am. Do you know what happened?"

"Not really… I was sleeping when I heard my mom's screams, then dad pulled me through the window and told me to run… I just run without a direction, then I fell and… I'm here."

I sighed, how am I going to explain to this child that his parents are dead? I could simply take him to the village, so the humans would take care of him, but, if they see him with the beast, they'll think he's cursed. Ah, where did I get myself into?

"Okay, kid. That won't be easy. I found you fainted on the forest, your home was in fire. Your parents are probably dead," I said, trying to sound gentle.

His eyes widened and he lowered his head, but didn't say anything. A few minutes of silence after, he raised his head and stared at me (through, to be honest).

"Who are you?"

"Me? I'm the beast," his eyes widened again, but he took a deep breath and said:

"Well, Miss Beast, thank you for saving me," this time, my eyes widened.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" He shook his head.

"Why should I be afraid of someone that saved me?"

A smile formed in my lips when he said that and I was glad he couldn't see me. Maybe not every human is as bad as I think, right? Still smiling, I stood up from the chair near the bed and walked to the door, stopping at the sound of his voice.

"Ahmn... What's your name? I mean, your real name?" He asked, hesitating.

"Rin, it's Rin," I answered.

"Well, thank you again, Miss Rin."

I left the room glad for, years after my parents' death, someone called me Rin, and not "monster" or "beast". Behind the door, I could hear him sob and cry for his parents. I couldn't tell if was because he's afraid of me, or because he knew his parents were dead.

* * *

To live with a human child is not easy. Especially one that is blind. He can't find his way on the castle and can't do some things by himself. I also didn't have any clothes for children, so, one night, I had to go to the village, to take some clothes for him. Of course I stole it, I have no money and, even if I had, no merchant would accept money from the beast, anyway.

Don't take me wrong, I enjoy his company. It's good to not be alone, after centuries. But it's also tiring. One day, I couldn't stand it anymore and said:

"I'll take you to the village."

"Why?" He almost screamed, shocked.

"You'll find someone better to take care of you there," I answered calmly.

"But I don't want to stay in the village! I want to stay with you!" He fought. It surprised me.

"Why do you want to stay here, with the beast? You should stay with humans, like you."

"…"

"See? You can't even understand why you want to stay here," I turned to leave, but tiny arms wrapped around my waist and I felt the back of my dress getting wet.

"Y-your voice..." He said between sobs, "Your voice is so filled with pain and loneliness! I can feel how lonely you are! Let's… Let's be lonely together!"

I turned in his tiny arms, shocked at how a child like him could say things like that. Shocked at how a small child like him could unmask me. I crouched down, wrapping my arms around the sobbing boy. It's when I noticed that, even though we've been living together for at least two months, I didn't know his name. I've been calling him child, kid, brat, human and he didn't seem to mind.

"Hey," I said, drying his tears with my dress (my claws would have hurt him),"What's your name?"

"It's Len," He said, smiling. I embraced him again and whispered:

"Let's be alone together, Len."

* * *

**Five years later...**

Len'd grown so much in five years. He's taller than me now. He's fifteen, while I… How old do I look I am, eighteen, twenty? I don't know, I don't have any mirrors in the castle, and Len can't see, so… He can walk through the whole castle alone now; he said he memorized every room, furniture, etc. Every food we have came from the woods. I usually go hunt at night and there's a garden with lots of vegetables and fruits at the back of the castle.

We've created the habit to take some hours of the day to read stories. My dad had created a huge library in the castle and, through centuries, I haven't read any of them. That is, before Len came. We'd sit at the fireplace and I'd read to him, for hours, only enjoying each other companies. I had learned how to love him and I was happy, because he seemed to love a beast like me.

No other human had come to the woods in these five years. Sometimes I wondered if Len missed living with other humans, if he wasn't bored of just staying here with me. One day, I asked.

"Len, don't you miss being with other humans? To be at the village, that is way more lively than here?"

"Nah… I like living here. My parents and I lived isolated from the rest of the village and others children didn't like to play with me, because I'm blind. I prefer being here with you, Rin."

I smiled and we stayed silent, then. But, after some minutes, Len broke the silence, asking:

"And you, Rin, why do you lived here alone in the castle for all those centuries?"

"I already told you, Len. Because I'm the beast, I'm ugly and they're afraid of me," I answered.

"You're pretty, to me," Len retorted.

"Oh, Len, how can you tell? You can even see me," I giggle softly.

"I don't need to see to know that you're pretty. You're sweet, caring, funny, kind… Your voice is warm, too. You're pretty just as you are!" He said determined.

"Not everyone is like you, Len," I smiled sadly, "Some people only see what are outside and, outside, I'm a monster."

He surprised me putting his hands on my arms. He traced my shoulders and neck and stopped as he touched my cheek. Then he started to feel, with the tip of his fingers, every part of my face. Eyes, lips, nose, everything. His eyes shone with admiration.

"You're so beautiful, Rin!" I lead his hands to my horns, "They don't make you a monster, Rin."

Len took his hands out of my horns and led them to his mouth, covering it as he started to cough. Several minutes later, it finally stopped and he continued.

"You're only a monster if you believe you are. And even if you believe you're one, I'll always be here, seeing you as just Rin," He said softly. I wanted to cry.

His hands traced my arms again, until they reached my face. His thumb traced my lips for a few seconds; soon, his finger was replaced by his lips.

* * *

**Five years later...**

Len's fits of cough are getting worse. It started five years ago, but it worse now. Now it disturbs his breathing. I'm scared. Was he sick? I know that humans are weak and get sick easily. What's happening to him? I don't want to lose Len.

These ten years were the best of my life. Of all those centuries, this decade was the best. And I want more; I want to live more decades of happiness with Len by my side.

Today, we decided to read a book on the tallest tower. Its twilight and the sky was painted with various shades of orange. From the top of the tower, we could see the whole forest and the village far away. It's a pretty sight.

I was reading happily the book when a strong cough made me stop. Len had his hand at his mouth, but I could see blood through his fingers. Finally, his body gave in and he fell forward, but I held him before he hit the floor.

I turned him, so he was facing me while I cradled him in my arms. He had an expression of extreme agony and blood at the edge of his lips. I knew something was wrong, very wrong. **(1)** I felt that this would be the last time I would see his lovely, bright blue eyes.

"My b-body... It feels so heavy..." He said weakly, "I'm sorry, Rin…"

"Why are you apologizing?" I shouted, crying, "You'll be okay! We still have so many books to read together and we'll have many others years of happiness!"

"But… I'm… so tired…" He said, closing his eyes.

"Len… Please… I don't want to be alone again… I don't want to live an eternity without you. You've taught me how live, before I was just a body without a soul… Please…" I asked, whispering.

"I'm so sorry, Rin… I… I just wish I could see your face at least one time…" He closed his eyes again.

"Please… Don't say that…" I leaned to kiss him, while I felt his breathing stop.

Was this some kind of punishment? I stayed there for hours, holding him in my arms, crying my heart out. Len'd taught me how to live. Len'd taught me how to love. Len'd turned the monster I was into a woman. If I knew it would hurt so much to lose him, I'd never had saved… No, every minute I lived with Len was worth it. When I couldn't take it anymore, I screamed.

* * *

A scream echoed through the whole Forest, even reaching the village and those who heard that, could tell for sure: that was the saddest sound they've ever heard in their whole lives.

It looks like Fate had decided that the beast was doomed to live alone for the rest of eternity.

* * *

**Ignore spell/grammar mistakes xD**

**I fixed some mistakes I could found. If you see more, tell me, so I can kill myself :P**

**I killed Len! How could I? *headshot***

**(1 ) Rin'd never lived with a human, she doesn't know about them very much, don't think Rinny is stupid :C**

**Well, since Rin was immortal, they story was doomed to have a sad end. **

**Sorry about that :P**

**Review and make a potato happy!**


End file.
